Urinometer

ABSTRACT

An elongated transparent tube of plastic is mounted at one end in a base member by which it is held in an upright position. It has a flared out funnel shaped top to ease pouring liquids thereinto and at its lower end an aperture through its wall just above its end where it is mounted in the base member. A plug having an axial extending passageway therethrough is received in the upright tube and secured therein in a desired position spaced down from the funnel shaped top end. The spacing of the plug provides a receptacle for a measured amount of urine or liquid whose specific gravity is to be measured or it may be used otherwise. A plastic transparent flexible tube extends from within the axial aperture of the plug downwardly through the upright tube and out through the aperture in the wall thereof just above the base member. There is a lever pivotally mounted at one end in a post extending up from the base which extends across and in contact with the flexible tube and on pushing the lever down the walls of the tube are pinched together against the adjacent top surface of the base. This serves as a valve to close off and open up the flow through the flexible tube to drain the measured amount of urine or liquid. A midget hydrometer is placed in the captive liquid to measure its specific gravity. Other tests may also be made on the captive liquid.

United States Patent [191 Jones [451 Oct. 29, 1974 URINOMETER [75]Inventor: Richard Vaughn Jones, DeQueen,

Ark.

[73] Assignee: Millwood Laboratories, DeQueen,

Ark.

[22] Filed: Jan. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 320,785

52 u.s.c1. 23/259, 73/444 51 1m.c1. ..G0ln9/l0,GOln 33/16 [58] FieldofSearch 23/259, 292, 253; 73/444,

Primary Examiner-Robert M. Reese Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jones, Tullar& Cooper [57] ABSTRACT An elongated transparent tube of plastic ismounted at one end in a base member by which it is held in an uprightposition. It has a flared out funnel shaped top to ease pouring liquidsthereinto and at its lower end an aperture through its wall just aboveits end where it is mounted in the base member. A plug having an axialextending passageway therethrough is received in the upright tube andsecured therein in a desired position spaced down from the funnel shapedtop end. The spacing of the plug provides a receptacle for a measuredamount of urine or liquid whose specific gravity is to be measured or itmay be used otherwise. A plastic transparent flexible tube extends fromwithin the axial aperture of the plug downwardly through the uprighttube and out through the aperture in the wall thereof just above thebase member. There is a lever pivotally mounted at one end in a postextending up from the base which extends across and in contact with theflexible tube and on pushing the lever down the walls of the tube arepinched together against the adjacent top surface of the base. Thisserves as a valve to close off and open up the flow through the flexibletube to drain the measured amount of urine or liquid. A midgethydrometer is placed in the captive liquid to measure its specificgravity. Other tests may also be made on the captive liquid.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 URINOMETER SUMMARY OF INVENTION It isdesired to provide a container that is mounted in an upright positionfor a relatively small sample of urine or liquid whose specific gravityis to be measured with a midget hydrometer or on which other tests areto be carried out.

This container is to be arranged so as to be drained without having tostop and pour out the liquid and this results in fewer spills beingencountered.

Ease of filling of the receptacle is enhanced by providing a flaredfunnel shaped filling opening.

The receptacle is to be transparent and mounted in an upright positionon a stable base and have a drain hose with an easily operated valvetherein.

The apparatus with its gravity flow and easily operated cut off valveaffords faster testing of multiple samples.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the attached detailed description, and upon reference to thedrawings, i;n which:

FlG. l is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of theurinometer and FIG. 2 is a modified form of the urinometer with thedrain tube and cut off valve changed.

The testing apparatus in its preferred form is indicated at in FIG. 1.An upright tubular member 11 similar in dimensions to a test tube ispreferably of transparent plastic material and is closed off at itsbottom end where it is mounted for vertical support in base member 13.The upper filling end 12 of the tube 11 is flared outward in a funnelshape to make filling easier.

Received in the tube 11 is an axially apertured plug 14. It ispositioned at a selected distance from the top of tube 11 to provide forthe desired volume. Mounted in the axial aperture of plug 14 is theupper end of a flexible plastic tube or conduit 15 which extendsdownward in tube 11 and out through an aperture 16 in the wall of tube11 adjacent the bottom end.

A shut off valve for the flexible tube 15 is generally indicated at 17and is mounted on base 13. The valve 17 has a mounting post 18 mountedon base 13 and it is slotted at 18a to receive the end of a lever 19that is vpivotally mounted on the post 18 by a pivot pin 18b.

upper end of tube 11 to measure the specific gravity of the liquid suchas urine.

In FIG. 2 like parts of the measuring device of FIG.

7 l are shown in a modified form of the device. The vertiand thumboperated typical laboratory tube clamp 20.

This test apparatus for conducting various test of liquid samples suchas the specific gravity of urine provides for gravity flow emptying. Itaffords rapid testing of multiple samples.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for handling liquids comprising, in combination,

an upright tubular member open at the top to receive liquid,

means supporting the upright tubular member,

a plug having an aperature extending axially therethrough received insaid tubular member at a selected position intermediate its ends,

said upright tubular member having an aperture in its wall at a positionbelow said plug,

a second tubular member having one end thereof received in the aperturein said plug and communicating with the space in said upright tubularmember above said plug and extending downwardly through said tubularmember below said plug and through and out beyond said aperture in thewall of said upright member and means associated with said secondtubular member and outside of said upright tubular member forcontrolling passage of liquid through said second tubular member.

2. A device for handling liquids according to claim 1 wherein saidsecond tubular member is flexible.

3. A device for handling liquids according to claim 1 wherein at least aportion of said second tubular member that extends outside said uprighttubular member is flexible and wherein said means associated with saidsecond tubular member for controlling passage of liquid through saidsecond tubular member is a clamp associated with said flexible portionof said second tubular member.

4. A device for handling liquids according to claim 1 wherein the meanssupporting the upright tubular member is transversely extending basemember to which the lower end of said upright tubular member isattached.

5. A device for handling liquids according to claim 4 wherein at least aportion of said second tubular member extending out through saidaperture in the wall of the upright tubular member lies adjacent aportion of said base member and wherein said means associated with saidsecond tubular member for controlling passage of liquid therethrough isa clamping lever pivoted at one end on said base member and extendingtransversely over said flexible portion of said second tubular memberwhereby pivoting of said lever down onto said flexible tubular portioncuts off flow of liquid and release of said lever permits flow.

1. A DEVICE FOR HANDLING LIQUIDS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN UPRIGHTTUBULAR MEMBER OPEN AT THE TOP TO RECEIVE LIQUIDS, MEANS SUPPORTING THEUPRIGHT TUBULAR MEMBER, A PLUG HAVING AN APERATURE EXTENDING AXIALLYTHERETHROUGH RECEIVED IN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AT A SELECTED POSITIONINTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS. SAID UPRIGHT TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE INITS WALL AT A POSITION BELOW SAID PLUG, A SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER HAVINGONE END THEREOF RECEIVED IN THE APERTURE IN SAID PLUG AND COMMUNICATIONWITH THE SPACE IN SAID UPRIGHT TUBULAR MEMBER ABOVE SAID PLUG ANDEXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BELOW SAID PLUG ANDTHROUGH AND OUT BEYOND SAID PAERTURE IN THE WALL OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERAND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER AND OUTSIDE OF SAIDUPRIGHT TUBULAR MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING, PASSAGE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAIDSECOND TUBULAR MEMBER.
 2. A device for handling liquids according toclaim 1 wherein said second tubular member is flexible.
 3. A device forhandling liquids according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of saidsecond tubular member that extends outside said upright tubular memberis flexible and wherein said means associated with said second tubularmember for controlling passage of liquid through said second tubularmember is a clamp associated with said flexible portion of said secondtubular member.
 4. A device for handling liquids according to claim 1wherein the means supporting the upright tubular member is transverselyextending base member to which the lower end of said upright tubularmember is attached.
 5. A device for handling liquids according to claim4 wherein at least a portion of said second tubular member extending outthrough said aperture in the wall of the upright tubular member liesadjacent a portion of said base member and wherein said means associatedwith said second tubular member for controlling passage of liquidtherethrough is a clamping lever pivoted at one end on said base memberand extending transversely over said flexible portion of said secondtubular member whereby pivoting of said lever down onto said flexibletubular portion cuts off flow of liquid and release of said leverpermits flow.